SV-001 (Metal Slug)
Role in the series In 2028, the Rebellion launched a massive attack against the Regular Army forces around the world. Although the Regular Army intelligence agency had many indications that such an attack was imminent, the higher-ups again ignored the warnings. With the Regular Army forces surprised, the Rebellion nearly annihilated them with their superior numbers and emergent technologies. The Regular Army planned a massive counter-attack against the Rebellion. Advanced tank prototypes, designated "Super Vehicle-001" were designed to aid the Regular Army commandos, and were in the process of being converted to operational status by resistance fighters. The resistance was crushed by the Rebellion, with the vehicles being captured. Marco Rossi and Tarma Roving are sent to recover the Metal Slugs before the Rebel Army could make use of them; destroying them if there are no other options. It can be safely assumed that enough of the tanks were recovered for use in the final assault on the Rebellion as they can be seen in the final mission against General Morden; this assult would lead to the end of the First Modern War. Now safely in the hands of the Regular Army, the SV-001 would be continued in use for seemingly all major threats from then on such as the Second Modern War and the White Baby Crisis. Sometime in the year 2031, the laboratory developing the next generation of METAL SLUGs comes under attack and a data disk containing METAL SLUG secrets is seized. Marco Rossi and Tarma Roving are ordered to retrieve the disc and rush to track it down. Meanwhile, Eri and Fio, who are investigating the paramilitary organization Ptolemaic Army that is raiding historical ruins, succeed in tracking it down at an ancient ruin known as the "Corridor of Fire." They storm the site and attempt to overtake them, but they are repulsed by the natives and giant Metal Slugs. This incident makes it clear that the enemy behind the pilfering of Metal Slug secrets is the Ptolemaic Army. The Regular Army is no longer the only army to ultilise SV-001's from this point on; the Ptolemaic Army used these vehicles all though the Ptolemaic War and the Ptolemaic's even made some of their own variants. Technical details The SV-001 is a small, silver or gunmetal grey tank and is the very first "Super Vehicle" developed by the Regular Army. The tank is armed with one 127mm Low-pressure rifled main gun and twin three-barreled 12.6mm caliber Vulcan cannons. The main gun is located directly at the front like most tanks and fires massive explosive shells that detonate on impact; the shells can be reloaded on the fly once from a container should the vehicle run out (SV-001's tend to come with a 10-shell preset amount). The Vulcan cannons are fully controllable by the user and capable of turning 360 degrees with no delay; a continuous stream of seemingly unlimited bullets are fired out at high speeds when used. The vehicle can jump and crouch. Crouching opens a hatch on the top of the tank through which grenades can be thrown. The grenades are independent of the cannon's ammo system. The vehicle can run over infantry and perform a suicide attack, with the driver jumping clear and the tank ramming into and exploding upon the target. The vehicle can take three direct hits before it is destroyed. Although impervious to regular infantry, they can still grope onto the vehicle and cause damage if not shot off or grope onto the cannon (front bore) to try and prevent it from firing. They do such things in a humorous way, though. Upgrades Armor Piercer: A standard SV-001 can have its main gun modified on the fly to fire shells that yield additional armour piercing power, travel in a straight line and cause more damage. Normal shells: Converts AP back to HE and adds ten shells. Found at the end of Mission 5 in Metal Slug 2, before the boss battle. Gas: Can recharge some energy for the Slug by one hit. If the Slug has full health it scores 1000 points instead. Note: If the player marches by foot, each one of these items scores 1000 points instead. SV-001 Variants Versions used by the Regular army, each one shows a the evolution of the SV-001. Regular Model: This version is the most commonly seen. It has a vulcan and cannon top. Althought not the strongest, it still gets the job done. Blue SV-001: Also called SV-001 Type Blue. An improved Metal Slug that is very powerful and has strong armor. Very rare, it appears only once, being obtained by defeating the Alien Floating Structure with no continues. It still can be destroyed by certain attacks, so players must be careful and use it wisely. Gold SV-001: Sometimes referred to as SV-001 Type R. An upgraded unit that features faster movement and can jump higher than a normal SV-001. Used during Metal Slug X, 3 & 6 on the final assault on the Venusians lair. These are seldom seen, due to higher production costs than the standard tanks. Black Hound: This variant is playable in Metal Slug Advance, unlocked by finding its card and enabling it. Doing so replaces the standard SV-001 with the Black Hound; however, unlike the boss version seen in Metal Slug 5, its Vulcan cannons are absent and the laser cannon is unusable. Slug Gunner: The ultimate evolution of the SV-001, the Slug Gunner was developed by the Regular Army engineers based on the rebel's LV Armor. This model is cumbersome in both games it appears in (Metal Slug 5 and Advance), moving at a ridiculously slow pace when in Mech mode. Slug Gunner Prototype: An incomplete prototype of the Slug Gunner. Due to its status, it provides no protection to the player from upper and lateral attacks. It also lacks a melee attack, possessing only its ranged attack. On the bright side, it is slightly faster than a Slug Gunner when in Mech mode. Enemy Variants Versions used by enemies, based on data stolen from the Regular army. Black Hound: In addition to the Ptolemaic Slug, the Ptolemaic Army also developed an experimental, unmanned prototype with the stolen data disc's information. In addition to the 127 mm cannon and 12.6 mm Vulcan, it is also armed with a rapid-fire mortar, and a laser cannon mounted on a mechanical arm hidden under the entry hatch. It can be fought as a mid-boss in the first level's temple of Metal Slug 5, in the left side at the fork in one of the paths of the second area of the temple. It had apparently went rogue, when it had killed the soldiers that were testing it upon activation. http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081215230016/metalslug/images/2/2c/Formoranim.gif Formor: Rebel variant, twice as big as an usual Slug. It serves as the first boss of Metal Slug Advance. While it is a bigger imitation of the Metal Slug, it is much smaller than the Metal Rear. It has the same characteristice of said model, but rarely uses the sidewalk attack. Metal Rear: A giant Ptolemaic Army version that serves as the first boss in Metal Slug 5. It is a lot bigger than a regular Slug. The standard version's cannon has been changed into a large fireball, and its Vulcan shoots oval-like bullets. It can also jump very high and use a sidewalk attack while firing its Vulcan. Ptolemaic Slug: Using the stolen data, the Ptolemaic Army developed presumably unmanned Metal Slug tanks. There are two variants, each using only one of the two signature weapons of the original Metal Slug: some are armed with the 127 mm cannon, while others feature the 12.6mm Vulcan. Unusable Slugs Variants that cannot be used by the player or were discarded during development. SV-001 Experimental : A Metal Slug appearing in the opening cutscene of the Final Mission from Metal Slug. This variant is stronger and slower than the regular model. This model makes a playable appearance in Metal Slug Defense. SV-001 Bronze: A rare type of the SV-001 that only appears in the opening cutscene from Metal Slug's Final Mission. It may be stronger than a Gold SV-001, though this is speculation. Sand Simon: A prototype vehicle from the Regular Army. It was supposed to appear on the first Metal Slug, but it was decided to scrap it during development for some reason. It was replaced by a regular Metal Slug in the game's Final Mission. It seems to be a combination of a regular version and Di-Cokka, slow but with impressive power. Graphically, it has the same cannon as a standard Metal Slug, but its Vulcan is very different, located on the side of its front wheels. In the back, a mortar lauching area can be seen. Appearances in other series SNK Vs. Capcom: CHAOS The SV-001 makes a very brief cameo in the Mars People's ending, where Marco Rossi uses it to ride into battle against the Martians which are attacking New York City. Neo-Geo Battle Coliseum Marco Rossi is capable of summoning the SV-001 Metal Slug to perform certain Desperation Moves. Marco can order the Metal Slug to either ram into his opponents, or fire its cannon at them. The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact 2 In this game, there exists a mission where a SV-001 Metal Slug must be destroyed within a 60 second time limit. The Metal Slug attacks with its cannon and is presumably unpiloted. The arena is also filled with mines and a laser. Once destroyed, it will self-destruct in the same manner as in the main Metal Slug series. Trivia * Unlike its arcade counterparts, the SV-001 tanks in Metal Slug: 1st Mission and 2nd Mission have the ability to turn around by tapping the opposite direction twice. * The design of the SV-001 was inspired by the tank from the manga Dominion Tank Police.http://hardcoregaming101.net/tracing/tracing4.htm Gallery File:Advanceslugcard.JPG|Metal Slug card from Metal Slug Advance File:MaxiSlug.jpg|Metal Slug in KOF: Maximum Impact 2 es:SV-001 (Metal Slug)